Answer Calls When They Come
I’ve written previously about the importance of the ability to pivot, and once again I’m using this newsletter as a way to practice what I preach.
I’m finding myself answering a few calls that I’ve been avoiding before and finding new ways of working in progress. So, as both an announcement and an act of accountability, I’m sharing them here with you. I’ve known I needed these services for a while, but I’ve finally wrapped my head around them.
The first call was coming from inside the house
I had clients who were no longer able to stay on retainer with me for one reason or another, but didn’t want to stop working with me. We had strong working relationships, and needed a way for me to tap in and help them without the retainer commitment. I finally relented and I’m so happy I did. Now, if you’re a former client of mine, I will accept hourly work on a project basis pending my availability.
I’m excited that I can now continue working with people who are great to work with and run businesses I’m proud to be associated with.
The second call came from the economy, and my desire to work with small businesses
It’s a tough environment out there—there’s no two ways about it. I’ve long wanted to figure out a package price so that small businesses that couldn’t yet afford me could still benefit from my services. The idea had eluded me for years until I was recently connected with someone who shared that she knew how to operate platforms, so she didn’t need help there, she just didn’t know what to put on them or how to be strategic.
There was the lightbulb: I just needed to give her a roadmap. Along came my new introductory offer:
For a flat fee of $1,000, you’ll receive a personalized Social Playbook that includes:
Tone and specific plans for each social media platform
A messaging hierarchy for easy reference
Recommended posting cadences, along with specified goals and content ideas for each platform
Content buckets to help you determine what type of content you should be creating
A marketing funnel analysis
A bonus sheet with updated best practices for producing social media videos
My test case has been doing amazing work ever since! We’ve checked in, but she’s also out there flourishing, knowing I have her back, as does her playbook.
Do you or someone you know need this? Drop me a line here, and we can discuss it.
The last call came from an old friend
It’s always exciting for me to reconnect with old colleagues and friends. Especially in the entertainment industry, you really never know where the world will take anyone, and often I’m surprised and delighted by where they’ve ended up. So when I heard from Steve Sims that he was now out on his own and taking independent production clients, I was both thrilled and surprised.
We’d met in the trenches of a tough work environment, and he’d had my back through many a bad day. But I thought he’d be there for a long time, much longer than I was. Once that changed, we got to look back and (usually) laugh at what we’d been through. Getting to collaborate without the stress and angst of our previous workplace only created a better working dynamic than we’d previously had.
We both started hearing more of a desire from a number of places for individuals to bring their podcast ideas to life. For some, the cost and figuring out the nuts and bolts of recording and distribution can be a real pain. So, Steve, his partner Meghann, and I put our heads together and came up with a way to bring those people what they needed.
We are now offering joint podcast packages in which Steve and Meghann take care of all things production, and I make sure it gets out into the world through marketing! There are tiers to meet you where you are, whether you just need the basics or want us to fully handle every bit of work.
While I am still torn about the podcast landscape (which can feel bloated right now), I’m also excited to get to help tell stories that matter.
Interested? Shoot me an email and I’ll pass along more info.
Lesson learned: Pick up the phone, even if you hate it! You never know what’s on the other end; it might just excite you.
